Lyme Disease and Birth Injuries

As the temperature warms, residents of Tennessee love to walk in wooded trails, parks, and places with lots of green grass. Unfortunately, these areas are attractive to ticks that carry Lyme disease. According to the March of Dimes, Lyme disease can cause death and catastrophic injuries. People with Lyme disease can develop brain damage, nerve damage, paralysis, spinal cord damage, and heart difficulties. If a pregnant woman gets Lyme disease, her baby may be stillborn or may have birth defects.

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is carried by infected blacklegged ticks that spread the disease through bacteria. While the disease is most common in the Northeast and Midwest, there are known cases in Tennessee. Travelers from local states may also bring the ticks into Tennessee. Since Lyme disease is not found as often here as it is in other states, it is extra-important to be able to speak with professionals who understand the preventive steps, the signs, and the treatments.

Ticks are hard to detect. They often crawl onto humans from animals or plants, so it’s important that you check your pets if they spend time outdoors. Adult ticks bite when it’s cooler. Young ticks tend to bite when it’s warmer. Infections don’t always occur right away. A tick generally needs to be on your body for about two days before infection occurs.

Lyme disease and pregnancy

Pregnant women have to be careful when it comes to developing infections because some antibiotics (like doxycycline) can be harmful to a fetus. Untreated Lyme could potentially give rise to any of the following complications, leading to a serious birth injury:

• Placenta infections. The placenta provides the baby with nutrients and oxygen through the umbilical cord. The baby grows in a pregnant woman’s uterus. Untreated infections endanger mother and the newborn.
• Urinary tract infections. The urinary tract helps the body dispose of fluids and waste. The organs in the urinary tract are the bladder and the kidneys. Infections can cause damage to these organs and cause a lot of pain.
• Congenital heart defects. If the infection travels, it could affect the baby’s heart.
• Hyperbilirubinemia and other blood problems. Bilirubin is created when red cells break down. Babies with too much (hyper) bilirubin can develop jaundice which can affect the liver.

In the most tragic of circumstances, untreated Lyme disease could lead to the stillbirth of your child.

Know the signs of Lyme

Early signs and symptoms of Lyme disease include:

• Tiredness
• Distinctive “bulls-eye” rash
• Chills and fever
• Headaches
• Swollen lymph nodes
• Muscle pain
• Joint pain

Symptoms can last for up to six months after treatment. If Lyme disease isn’t treated, further complications can develop including the swelling of the spinal cord, the brain, or both. It can leave your extremities feeling numb, and it can affect your heartbeat as well.

Treatment for Lyme disease usually means taking antibiotics for four weeks.

There is some debate, such as the one raised in Scientific American, about whether pregnant mothers can directly pass on Lyme disease to their child. The acknowledged concern is that the mother may develop infections and other complications that can then affect the baby’s health.

Preventive measures

Preventing the tick bite is the best way to prevent Lyme disease. Practical suggestions for avoiding tick bites include:

• Avoid locations ticks like – wooded places and locations with tall grass.
• Check for ticks behind your knees, under your armpits, around your groin, and in your hair.
• Use a lotion, spray, or other tick repellant. The EPA has a list of recommendations.
• Clothes should be treated with permethrin insect repellant.
• Take a shower after any possible exposure.
• Wash and dry clothing that may have been exposed.

Doctors who fail to treat a pregnant mother for tick bites and Lyme disease may be liable for medical malpractice if the mother develops complications or if the baby is born with birth injuries.

To learn if your physician or health provider failed to treat you correctly for ticks or Lyme disease, please call the Memphis birth injury lawyers at Bailey & Greer, PLLC. We have been fighting for the injured and families of deceased victims since 1986. For help now, please call us at 901-680-9777 or complete our easy to use contact form. We see clients in Memphis, Jackson, West Tennessee, and the nearby areas.